Writing...just not always online

Perhaps because it's summer and I've got the same lazy attitude of our students. Perhaps because there has been summer reading program (albeit much less stressful this year). But I like to think that I haven't been blogging as much because of other writing projects. Capturing my words cannot always be done in a public forum and this has been one of those times.

My most recent 'brilliant idea' is to write a thousand words on each of a number of people who have influenced me or about whom I have a strong memory. These are summaries of friendships now gone by the wayside, coworkers with whom I've lost contact, or casual acquaintances where I can still remember being a thorn in their side.

One memory I want to capture is of a resident supervisor I knew during undergrad. He was a graduate student about whom none of us knew very much. One night, as I sat in the building lobby chatting with friends I saw him and called out to him. He sighed and turned, waiting for one of the infamous questions I would drop on him.

"Yeah?" he asked, waiting to hear some strange challenge to long time policy.

"I need a hug."

You could see palpable relief as he extended his arms and I dashed over into them. He headed off then and I went back to those friends, who were now staring at me. They'd never considered that he was a huggable person. Their loss--he gave awesome hugs.

Though I doubt it's a memory he probably shares (one hug in the middle of a dorm lobby?), it's something I want to capture. For their privacy though, I will keep these thoughts offline, because these will be real people and real events--as best as my memory will serve.

But that's what I'm working on--what are you up to?

NaNoWriMo: A Personal Writing Challenge

It's November 1--somehow, amazingly, and it's time for NaNoWriMo. For those uninitiated this is a challenge each winter undertaken by writers to get productivity up. They set themselves a goal of writing a 50,000 word novel in the 30 days of November.

It's a prompt to start writing, a deadline to work towards. And in WriMo fashion, I'm going to try for a goal of my own this month. My goal-- write for at least 15 minutes a day. Blogging and email don't count but I continue to count my private journal, because I get a lot of great ideas from my own life. My hope is that by November 30, I'll have some ideas on paper, some directions to take and maybe, I'll have gotten through a few things.

They also say it takes 30 days to form a new habit and writing would be a good one for me to get back into.

Reports as I go--plan to hold me accountable.